New Chanel designer Matthieu Blazy unveiled his first sumptuous collection on Monday in front of a crowd of admirers and stars sitting beneath giant glowing planets during Paris Fashion Week.
Ahead of the most-anticipated show of the Spring-Summer 2026 season, some had wondered how much the 41-year-old would dare change the classic designs of the French house.
Despite the galaxy-themed decoration in the spectacular Grand Palais exhibition space, Blazy eschewed a big bang design revolution, opting instead for modern yet bold tweaks to Chanel’s tweeds, blouses, and suits.
Gently mixing in masculine looks in the boxy jackets and shirts, alongside statement jewels and stunning long eveningwear in white silk or vibrant red, Blazy harked back to founder Coco Chanel, who took inspiration from her boyfriends’ wardrobes.
“What we asked him to do is to take us elsewhere, to move the brand on,” Chanel’s fashion business head, Bruno Pavlovsky, told reporters.
Lauding Blazy’s “discreet” personality and his willingness to listen to colleagues, Pavlovsky said the former Bottega Veneta and Calvin Klein designer had plunged into founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s story since joining.
“What’s great is that he continued playing with the design principles, those principles that are so distinctive and important for the brand. But at the same time, he allowed himself freedom, the freedom we need,” Pavlovsky explained.
The front row featured stars including Penelope Cruz, Kendall Jenner, and Pedro Pascal, alongside new Chanel ambassadors Nicole Kidman and The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri.
Kidman, known for her red-carpet glamour, opted for a simple white shirt and wide-leg jeans.
Early reviews were upbeat, with Harrods fashion chief Simon Longland calling Blazy’s debut “nothing short of a masterclass.”
Privately owned Chanel remains the world’s second-largest luxury fashion brand by sales.
Blazy was appointed Chanel’s creative director last December, tasked with steering the brand beyond the era of Karl Lagerfeld. He is only the fourth designer to hold the position, following Coco Chanel, Lagerfeld, and Virginie Viard, who stepped down last year.
Previously lauded for modernizing Bottega Veneta, Blazy’s appointment comes amid a wave of new creative leads at major fashion houses, signaling a generational shift in the industry.
Jonathan Anderson, 41, made his Dior women’s debut on Wednesday, while Italy’s Pierpaolo Piccioli set a fresh tone at Balenciaga after replacing Demna, who moved to Gucci.
Chanel’s president Bruno Pavlovsky told WWD the simultaneous reshuffles highlight an industry-wide focus on renewal.
The changes come as luxury brands face slowing sales, with Chanel reporting a 30 percent drop in operating profit last year to $4.48 billion as revenue fell 4.3 percent.
